Kansas City Police Maj. Anthony Ell says there are no known deaths from an explosion and fire Tuesday evening just west of the Country Club Plaza.
TAMMY LJUNGBLAD | The Kansas City Star Crews were battling a four-alarm fire with possible multiple injuries reported Tuesday night near the Country Club Plaza.
TAMMY LJUNGBLAD | The Kansas City Star Crews were battling a four-alarm fire with possible multiple injuries reported Tuesday night near the Country Club Plaza.
KEITH MYERS | The Kansas City Star Crews were battling a four-alarm fire with possible multiple injuries reported Tuesday night near the Country Club Plaza.
MARY SCHULTE| The Kansas City Star Crews were battling a four-alarm fire with possible multiple injuries reported Tuesday night near the Country Club Plaza.
JESSE BARKER | The Kansas City Star Crews were battling a four-alarm fire with possible multiple injuries reported Tuesday night near the Country Club Plaza.
TAMMY LJUNGBLAD | The Kansas City Star Crews were battling a four-alarm fire with possible multiple injuries reported Tuesday night near the Country Club Plaza.
GREGORY FARMER | The Kansas City Star This cellphone photo shows smoke rising near the Country Club Plaza as a four-alarm fire raged near 48th Street and Belleview Avenue.
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At least 15 people are being treated at area hospitals, several in critical condition.
The fire that resulted from the explosion at JJ’s restaurant, 910 W. 48th St. was upgraded to a four-alarm blaze. Fire crews reported about 7:45 p.m. that the gas company said it had turned off gas in the area.
A fire official said the explosion appears to have been an accident.
There may have been two or even three explosions. A contractor working on a reported gas leak outside JJ’s said there was a small explosion outside the restaurant and some of the gas workers ran inside to order everybody out.
Then there was a larger explosion. The worker did not think everybody got out of the restaurant.
There are numerous reports of injuries but it is not clear how serious they area.
The University of Kansas Hospital is treating five patients, one of which is critical and two are serious. A spokesman said the injuries were trauma injuries not burns. He said the hospital has been told they will not receive any more patients.
St. Luke’s Hospital has received seven patients, at least two of them critical. The others are still being evaluated.
Research Hospital received two patients by ambulance with smoke inhalation and both were in good condition.
Truman Medical Center is also treating one patient in critical condition.
A Star reporter a block north of the scene saw a man with a blood-covered face being wheeled away on a gurney. There are other gurneys outside an apartment to the north and across Belleview Avenue from JJs, but that building did not appear to be damaged.
He said crews were spreading tarps on the street in possible anticipation of casualties.
A woman who lives in an apartment across Belleview Avenue from JJ’s said she has seen a lot of injured people being wheeled on stretchers, one man with a leg that appeared to be almost severed. She also saw people bleeding from the ears, perhaps from the explosion.
Another witness said he started smelling gas as early as 1 p.m. reported it to a construction crew that was working at the West Edge project nearby. That person said a health spa next door to JJ’s, House of Elan, is also destroyed because a wall caved in.
Mark Ebbitts, who works at a nearby travel agency, stopped at JJs after work. He said the streets in the area were blocked off between 5 p.m. and 5:30 p.m. because of the smell and he saw Missouri Gas Energy workers inside JJs with gas detectors. Ebbitts said an alarm went off but the gas workers did not appear to panic.
“They did not have a sense of urgency about them,” Ebbitts said. “They didn’t say we had to go.”
Kim Vineyard was in her apartment 4732 Belleview Ave. across from JJs and said the explosion occurred just after 6 p.m.
“It sounded like my dining window, which faces Belleview, was gong to be blown through,” she said.
She and her husband and their two dogs were standing outside their building tonight, not sure whether they should leave the area or stay. Vineyard said the odor of gas is still very strong.
Several employees of the Plaza Physicians Group, in an office across the alley from J.J’s, smelled gas around 1 p.m. and told a member of the street crews but they didn’t seem to pay any attention. The smell grew stronger through the day, to the point an employee blew out a candle in the office, said Dr. John Verstraete.
Just before 6 p.m., a member of the gas company showed up at the physicians’ office. “I recommend that you evacuate.”
Roughly two minutes later, everything exploded.
“We feel very blessed,” said Cisco Sherman, an office manager with the physicians group. He was huddled in a van with several co-workers, waiting to be allowed back in the building to get their belongings.
The staff saw their last patient at 5:45 p.m.. “There could have been a lobby full of people if it was a little earlier,” said Sharon Sears, a receptionist.
The impact of he blast was felt blocks away.
"I thought something had exploded in my house," said Peggy Zilm, who lives about seven blocks from the site of the fire, in the Westwood neighborhood.
"It’s horrible," said Zilm, who said smoke was pouring over her street. "It just brings back too many memories of the Hyatt and other things. "
There are at least 12 ambulances oj the scene. Kansas City, Kan., and Johnson County have sent ambulances on stand-by.
Helicopter images of the site of the fire appear to show that the walls of the building may have been blown out.
All traffic should stay away from the area.
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At least 15 people are being treated at area hospitals, several in critical condition.
The fire that resulted from the explosion at JJ’s restaurant, 910 W. 48th St. was upgraded to a four-alarm blaze. Fire crews reported about 7:45 p.m. that the gas company said it had turned off gas in the area.
A fire official said the explosion appears to have been an accident.
There may have been two or even three explosions. A contractor working on a reported gas leak outside JJ’s said there was a small explosion outside the restaurant and some of the gas workers ran inside to order everybody out.
Then there was a larger explosion. The worker did not think everybody got out of the restaurant.
There are numerous reports of injuries but it is not clear how serious they area.
The University of Kansas Hospital is treating five patients, one of which is critical and two are serious. A spokesman said the injuries were trauma injuries not burns. He said the hospital has been told they will not receive any more patients.
St. Luke’s Hospital has received seven patients, at least two of them critical. The others are still being evaluated.
Research Hospital received two patients by ambulance with smoke inhalation and both were in good condition.
Truman Medical Center is also treating one patient in critical condition.
A Star reporter a block north of the scene saw a man with a blood-covered face being wheeled away on a gurney. There are other gurneys outside an apartment to the north and across Belleview Avenue from JJs, but that building did not appear to be damaged.
He said crews were spreading tarps on the street in possible anticipation of casualties.
A woman who lives in an apartment across Belleview Avenue from JJ’s said she has seen a lot of injured people being wheeled on stretchers, one man with a leg that appeared to be almost severed. She also saw people bleeding from the ears, perhaps from the explosion.
Another witness said he started smelling gas as early as 1 p.m. reported it to a construction crew that was working at the West Edge project nearby. That person said a health spa next door to JJ’s, House of Elan, is also destroyed because a wall caved in.
Mark Ebbitts, who works at a nearby travel agency, stopped at JJs after work. He said the streets in the area were blocked off between 5 p.m. and 5:30 p.m. because of the smell and he saw Missouri Gas Energy workers inside JJs with gas detectors. Ebbitts said an alarm went off but the gas workers did not appear to panic.
“They did not have a sense of urgency about them,” Ebbitts said. “They didn’t say we had to go.”
Kim Vineyard was in her apartment 4732 Belleview Ave. across from JJs and said the explosion occurred just after 6 p.m.
“It sounded like my dining window, which faces Belleview, was gong to be blown through,” she said.
She and her husband and their two dogs were standing outside their building tonight, not sure whether they should leave the area or stay. Vineyard said the odor of gas is still very strong.
Several employees of the Plaza Physicians Group, in an office across the alley from J.J’s, smelled gas around 1 p.m. and told a member of the street crews but they didn’t seem to pay any attention. The smell grew stronger through the day, to the point an employee blew out a candle in the office, said Dr. John Verstraete.
Just before 6 p.m., a member of the gas company showed up at the physicians’ office. “I recommend that you evacuate.”
Roughly two minutes later, everything exploded.
“We feel very blessed,” said Cisco Sherman, an office manager with the physicians group. He was huddled in a van with several co-workers, waiting to be allowed back in the building to get their belongings.
The staff saw their last patient at 5:45 p.m.. “There could have been a lobby full of people if it was a little earlier,” said Sharon Sears, a receptionist.
The impact of he blast was felt blocks away.
"I thought something had exploded in my house," said Peggy Zilm, who lives about seven blocks from the site of the fire, in the Westwood neighborhood.
"It’s horrible," said Zilm, who said smoke was pouring over her street. "It just brings back too many memories of the Hyatt and other things. "
There are at least 12 ambulances oj the scene. Kansas City, Kan., and Johnson County have sent ambulances on stand-by.
Helicopter images of the site of the fire appear to show that the walls of the building may have been blown out.
All traffic should stay away from the area.